Poems of home and country :: :: University of Virginia Library

In loving faith this stone we place;
God is our trust,—in Him we build;
All noble works through Him are wrought,
All life is with His pulse-beat thrilled.

O Life of life! O Light of light!
Our breath, our joy, our hope, our aim,—
We plant our corner-stone, we rear
Our home, in honor of Thy name!

In love o'er all the work preside
As wall, and tower, and peak ascend;
And be its crown of glory, Thou,—
Earth's noblest hope, life's highest end,

The broad, sweet landscape at our feet,—
Forest and vale, and hill and sea,—
Reveal Thy wondrous skill and power;
All space, all time, are full of Thee.

So let the building we prepare,
The house we to Thy honor raise,
Be a new temple built for God,—
Forever vocal with His praise.

June 22, 1885.

IN FAITH THIS CORNER-STONE WE LAY.

FOR THE CORNER-STONE LAYING, WORCESTER ACADEMY, 1889.

In faith this corner-stone we lay,—
A tribute to fair Learning's shrine;
God is our wisdom, God our stay,
And His the work our thoughts design.

We build in faith for nobler years,
For generations yet to be;
As every soul its structure rears
And builds for immortality.

Let children's children here be trained
To love the paths their fathers trod,
To keep the boon their fathers gained,
To love and trust their fathers' God.

And day by day the walls shall grow,
And arch, and dome, and towers shall rise,
As, slowly, works of love below
Tend to bright mansions in the skies.

NOT YET COMPLETE,—THE HALL WE REAR.

AN UNFINISHED MAIN BUILDING.

Not yet complete,—the hall we rear,
O Learning, to thy shrine;
Not yet complete,—our character,
To match the mould divine.

But wall, and architrave, and dome,—
As stone on stone we raise,—
A finished temple shall become,
Built for Jehovah's praise.

And year by year shall many a soul,
Like marble from the mine,
Polished, and set,—a perfect whole,—
In holy beauty shine.

As arch, and pinnacle, and spire
Point upward to the skies,
O living souls, grandly aspire
To shine in Paradise!

Written for the Tenth Commencement of Vermont Academy, Saxton's River, Vt., June 21, 1888.

HYMN FOR THE DEDICATION OF A SCHOOL-HOUSE.

[_]

[Tune: “The Morning Light is Breaking.”]

Sow ye beside all waters
The seeds of love and light,
And train your sons and daughters
To wisdom, truth, and right;
Open fresh founts of beauty
Along life's devious road;
Fashion the soul to duty,
And lead it up to God.

Prepare the peaceful bowers
Where opening minds shall wake,
As rosebuds into flowers
In blushing fragrance break;
Water with skilful teaching
The springing germs of thought,
Onward and heavenward reaching,
With coming glory fraught.

As priests of God anointed
To keep this high behest,
We take the charge appointed,
To do such bidding blest;
Here shall new gems be fitted
With mild, fair light to shine,
The toil to us committed,
The help, O God, is Thine.

Used at the dedication of a new building at Hebron Academy, Maine, June, 1891.

FAIR SEAT OF LEARNING! WHO SHALL TELL.

JUBILEE HYMN FOR MOUNT HOLYOKE SEMINARY, JUNE 23, 1887.

Fair seat of learning! who shall tell
The joy we feel in greeting thee
On this glad day, thy festal day,
Thy blessed day of jubilee!

O born of faith! O nursed in prayer!
What grateful throngs repeat thy name!
What memories, lingering round the globe,
With fervent blessing crown thy fame!

O loyal hearts! bring hymns of praise
To Him to whom all praise is due;
With loyal homage pay your vows,
In loyal faith your vows renew.

Glory to Him who planned, who guides,
The years elapsed, the years to be;
For His dear sake, in His great name,
We keep our hallowed Jubilee.

FAIR WORCESTER.

[_]

[Tune: “Fair Harvard.”]

Fair Worcester, enthroned on the hills in thy pride,
With the city-domes gleaming below,
A gem on the robe of a beautiful bride,
Or a crown on a beautiful brow,
Thy children return to thy favorite halls,
With more joy than the hom-flying dove;
Their hearts burn with gladness to answer thy calls,
As they bring thee their tribute of love.

Dear Muse of our childhood, dear guide of our youth,
To our hearts what fond memories throng;
From thy chalice we drank the rich draughts of truth,
And our souls through thy strength were made strong.
No landscape was ever so fair to be seen;
No such sunsets crowned day's busy hours;
No friends like the friends of our boyhood have been,
And no teachers so gracious as ours.

O favored of Heaven, thy sons have engraved
Their bright names on the wreath of thy fame;
To guard thee and guide thee, around thee has waved
God's broad pillar of cloud and of flame.
Still onward and upward pursue thy fair march,
Like an army with banners unfurled;
While God bends above thee His covenant arch,
And before thee lies waiting the world.

November 13,1891.

FAIR SUFFIELD, THY CHILDREN RETURN TO THY HALLS.

FAIR SUFFIELD.

Fair Suffield, thy children return to thy halls,
As the birdlings fly back to their nest,
Delighted to welcome thy motherly calls,
And to lean as of old on thy breast;
Whatever our lot in the future may be,
And wherever our footsteps may roam,
Our hearts shall still turn with affection to thee,
And shall find in thy bosom a home.

What lessons of wisdom we learned from thy lips!
What ambitions thy teachings have fired!
The light of those teachings no years can eclipse,
Nor imperil the love they inspired;
Thy light has shone far o'er the darkness of earth,
Like the sunbeams that break from the sky;
Thy prophets and heroes have honored their birth,
And their record stands written on high.

Oh, long from thy seat on the hills, in thy pride,
Be thy glorious banner unfurled;
There draw every eye like a beautiful bride,
And bring blessing and joy to the world!
The God of our fathers establish thy state,
And His pillar of cloud and of flame
Defend thee and guide thee while thousands shall wait
To be honored and called by thy name!

A school song for Suffield Literary Institution, Conn., Jan. 25, 1892.